Stavanger Bay hyperparadise

I'm cackling.

Well, there was certainly something going on here. He regarded the two impassively, trying to take in as many details as he could before he would have to act. The two were puffed up, teeth bared and stances aggressive. If it came to fisticuffs, Aesop didn't think he'd have much of a problem breaking the two up, one was clearly a kid and the other couldn't be much older. Honestly, talking the two of them down didn't seem like it'd be that hard, either, except for-

"None of your business, old man."

Okay, now that was uncalled for. Now, he liked to think he was a patient man, and so he took a few subtle breaths and let the blatant disrespect roll off of him. There was no apparent change in his demeanor except for a frown, and Aesop turned to the possible intruder and definite smart-ass. "Well, that was a bit rude, don't you think?" he said, voice calm and even. He wasn't so sure if the stranger actually was an intruder, more likely than not he really lived there and had just been caught at an unfortunate time by a more unfortunate individual. But every case like this one had to be approached with some caution. Also the guy was pretty damn rude, which Aesop was not pleased with.

Maybe he'd make him sweat it out a bit. Yeah, that seemed the best way to go about this. Completely fair and not at all petty, because Aesop was totally not bitter about being called an old man. "Well done, kid," he said to the youngest, "catchin' this guy right in the act. Gonna need you to back me up while I question him, think you can handle that?" Aesop closed the distance between the two of them, drawing himself up to his greatest height in an attempt to intimidate Atreyu. "So what, exactly, is goin' on here?"